Women Speak Tasmania, along with other gender-critical community members, has repeatedly faced hostility and bias within Hobart City Council.
In 2019, Hobart City Councillor Holly Ewin used her Facebook page to describe members of Women Speak Tasmania as “Nazis,” “white supremacists,” and “TERFs.” These serious allegations were made without evidence and in clear breach of the Council’s own Code of Conduct.
Following a formal complaint by Women Speak Tasmania representatives Isla MacGregor and Bronwyn Williams, the Local Government Code of Conduct Panel issued a determination. The Panel found that Cr Ewin’s comments were disrespectful, unsubstantiated, and failed to meet the standard expected of an elected representative.
The Australian reported that Cr Ewin was formally cautioned over these remarks, which vilified members of the community for holding gender-critical views and advocating for sex-based protections.
In March 2020, Isla MacGregor put a direct question to Cr Ewin during a Hobart Council meeting, asking her to provide evidence for her claims that Women Speak Tasmania “promotes violence” and that its members are “Nazis” or “white supremacists.” Despite being asked more than once, Cr Ewin was unable to provide any evidence to support her accusations and ultimately took the question on notice. These kinds of baseless allegations not only defame women speaking about sex-based rights but also breach Council’s own Social Media Guidelines.
The hostility did not end there. In July 2021, the Coalition for Biological Reality planned to hold a public forum on gender identity in law at Hobart Town Hall. Cr Ewin attempted to have the event cancelled. While the forum was later postponed due to Covid restrictions, the episode highlighted how gender-critical voices can be obstructed when seeking to hold lawful discussions in public venues. Local media bias added further barriers, with The Mercury requiring correction of its coverage. The forum was finally held in February 2022.
These experiences reflect a wider pattern: when women raise legitimate concerns about sex-based rights and gender law reforms, they are too often met with hostility, silencing tactics, and misrepresentation by those in positions of authority.
Women Speak Tasmania believes Tasmanian councils have a responsibility to uphold respectful conduct, protect free speech, and ensure all members of the community are treated fairly — including women who defend sex-based rights.